Grandad – Ethel went twice to DMC. Sheila & fam came for tea. Roger finished the lawns, also oiled the weather vane.
Mum – Alan got back safely at 1.30. Very tired & quite wheezy – but OK. Education Sunday. Rev Ron Ingamells, Diocesan Youth Chaplain in am & Ken Tickle, Robin Harris & Mrs Ream at night. Interesting but not “good”.
Notes
Grandma Went to Church Twice
Ethel refers to my grandmother Ethel May Cecilia Parkin. She went to Drayton Methodist Church (DMC) twice. They had two services on a Sunday, in the morning and in the afternoon, see Chapter 124.
Sunday Afternoon Tea
Sheila refers to my mother Sheila May Drew née Parkin. We went to grandma and grandad’s for tea which was our usual practice on Sunday afternoon, see Chapter 122.
Lawns and the Weather Vane
Often, particularly as grandma and grand grew older and frailer, we used to do jobs for them when we went there on Sunday afternoon, see Chapter 125. On this occasion, Roger refers to me and I cut the lawns and oiled the weather vane. Grandma and grandad had large lawns at the front and back of their house and these required cutting frequently. I believe the weather vane was one grandad had bought from Hubbards in 1964, see Chapter 84.
Back from How Hill
Alan refers to my younger brother. Mum noted that he got back safely at 1.30pm. He and two other boys from Boys’ Brigade had camped overnight at How Hill, see Chapter 124. While Alan was OK, mum noted that he was very tired and quite wheezy, see Chapter 116.
Education Sunday
Mum noted that it was Education Sunday, a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education, observed by a number of churches including the Methodist church, see Chapter 124. It has been observed for more than 100 years. Since 2016, it has been observed on the second Sunday of September. Prior to that it was observed on the ninth Sunday before Easter for some years. However, it seems that it was celebrated on various different days over time and perhaps in different locations. During the sixties and seventies, Education Sunday appears to have been celebrated in October.
Ron Ingamells
Mum noted that Rev Ron Ingamells was the speaker at St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church in the morning. She described him as the Diocesan Youth Chaplain.
He is mentioned a couple of other times in the diaries. In May 1976, he was the speaker at St Peter’s Guild and, in April 1978, he led a joint meeting of local churches at St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church, see Chapter 124. In addition, in August 1963, grandma attended the wedding of John Jay and Helen Wright. I am grateful to Helen Jay for sharing a photo of the wedding with me, see Chapter 77. The ceremony was performed by a Rev Ron Ingamells and I wonder if this was the same person.
Ronald Sidney Ingamells was born in Skegness in 1932. He studied theology at King’s College and St Bonifcae College in Warminster from 1953 to 1957. He worked as an Anglican priest for 65 years, from 1958 to 2023. Initially, he worked in Leeds and Yarmouth before becoming Diocesan Youth Officer in 1964 at the request of the Bishop of Norwich. He carried out this role into the late seventies. Later, he worked for the YMCA and a parish in Welwyn Garden City before retiring to Buckden near Huntingdon in 2002. Following the death of his first wife, he moved to Norwich and remarried.
Evening Service
The evening service was taken by three people mum knew through the church, Ken Tickle, Robin Harris and Mrs Ream, see Chapter 124. I assume they were all involved in education in some way. I am fairly sure that Ken Tickle was a teacher at Earlham School. However, I am not sure about the other two.
Mum considered the service interesting but not “good“. I confess I am not completely sure of the distinction!